Benjamin p



B. FLFLINT.

(ModeL) Time Lock.

No. 232,604. Patented Sept. 28, 1880.

N. PETERS, Puoro-Llmnennm, WASHINGTON, n c.

'1 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. FLINT, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH L. HALL,

OF SAME PLACE.

TIME-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 232,604, datedSeptember 28, 1880.

Application filed May 3, 1880. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, BENJAMIN F. FLINT, of

Cincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Time- 5 Looks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement on those associated time and so-calledcombination locks in which, so long as the time-lock is running, it isimpossible to open the safe-door, even though the tumblers of thecombination be set up properly in gate for that purpose; and myimprovement consists in an improved means whereby, in the event of thetime mech- 1 5 anism stopping Without discharging its proper function ofremoving the time-obstruction, a

person cognizant of the proper formula may nevertheless relieve the partfrom the timeobstruction and open the look.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a lockembodying my invention,thetimeobstruction-removingmechanism being shownin operation. Fig. 2 is a view taken in a plane parallel toand somewhatin rear of Fig. 1, showing the time-obstruction in operation. Fig. 3 isa perspective view, showin g a portion of my time-obstruction-removin gmechanism. Fig. 4 illustrates the automatic casting off of thetime-relief catch by the movin g clock-work.

A represents the casing or jamb on the hinge side of the door, and A thejamb on the lock side of the door.

B represents the door of a bank-safe; O O D, customary safe-bolt work;E, tongue projecting from same; F, customary bolt-work arbor; f; thewrist-pin thereof.

G represents one of several similarly-gated disks orcombination-tumblers. Each of these disks has two gatesto wit, a largergate, g, for reception of the tongue E of the safe-bolt Work in the actof unlocking the door, and a smaller gate, 9, for reception of a pinthat projects from my time-obstruction lever, to be presently described.

H represents a disk, which is mounted on the same stud as the tumblersG, and which has a gate, 9, similar to the gates g on the tumblers G,but which, instead of the smaller gates of said tumblers, has a deepV-shaped notch or indentation, h, to receive a corresponding V-shapedprojection on the timeobstruction lever. There is in front of tumbler Hnot less than one ordinary double-gated tumbler, G, and in rear of saidtumbler H at least another such tumbler, G.

My time mechanism I has a dial, J, on one of the clock-arbors K, whosespur-wheel L is so geared to a customary train of clockwork, M, thatsaid dial shall make a revoln tion in forty-eight hours; also, revolvingwith said dial is a notched disk, N, which, when the zero-mark on thedial reaches the index Q, permits the descent of spurred latch P p 0. Atthe same juncture a projection, Q, from the dial, coming in contact witha stop, R, on the clock-frame, arrests the dials rotation and stops theclock. One arbor, m, projects in front of the clock-face for engagementof the reliefcatch, as hereinafter explained.

My time mechanism obstruction. is constructed as follows: S is atrifurcated lever, pivoted at s, and having a normal tendency to vibrate(in direction of the arrow) imparted to it by a spring, T. One branch,8, of this lever extends upward to a height which just clears the latchP when said latch is riding upon the periphery of the notched disk N asin Figs. 1 and 2, but so that when the said latch has dropped into thenotch of the disk said branch stands in front of or engages behind thesnub of said latch, according to whether said lever S occupies theposition indicated in Fig. 1 or that shown in Fig. 2. Another branch, 8,of the lever S extends downward, and has a V- formed bend or projection,s, to fit and occup; the corresponding V-formed notch h in the tumblerH. Projecting laterally from the said bent portion of said branch is apin, 8, adapted to occupythe smaller gates g in tum- 9o blers G. Anotherbranch, s", of the lever S extends horizontally underneath theclockwork, and has projecting laterally from its ex- 'tremity a pin, W,for a purpose to be presently explained.

Z is the shaft of my time-obstruction detent. From this shaft projects ashort arm, U, and a long arm, V. To the extremity of the long arm V ispivoted a. catch, W, having a square shoulder, w, and a snub end, 10,The

and X normal tendencies in direction of the respective arrows, and stopsy y 3 limit the motions of said members.

In the ordinary operation of the lock, the dial J having been set to acertain hour and the lever S being held out by the tumblers,

the disk N, gradually rotating, allows the snub p to drop into the notchin said disk so soon combination.

as the zero-mark on the dial corresponds with the index 0, thus causingthe catch 19 to engage outside the lever s and hold the arm 8 s in aninoperative position, thereby allowing the tumblers to be set up to theordinary ment again the snub p slides out of the-notch in the disk N,thereby liberating the lever S and allowing it to perform, whennecessary, the functions hereinafter described.

While the time mechanism is set and its functions not yet discharged,the setting of so as to turn the latter out of gate, and the bolt-work,of course, cannot then be retracted.

(See Fig. 2.)

A further action of lever Sis to throw the relief mechanism U V W X Zinto the posi tion shown in Fig.2. If, now, the tumblers be againoperated, the lever S will be thrown to the position shown in Fig. 1,and be held there by the engagement of its stud 8 against the top of theyielding arm X, andif the time mechanism has stopped opportunity is thusafforded to set up the tumblers all in gate for retraction of thesafe-bolt work; but if, on the other hand, the clock-Work is in motionthe rotation of the shaft m will release the catch W, as indicated bydotted lines in Fig. 4, in a much shorter time than the operator can setup the combination, and the lever S, by turning the tumbler H out ofgate, as seen in Fig. 2, frustrates any attempt to retract thebolt-work.

I am aware that the result accomplished by the parts m and W has beenobtained by means of a pawl and ratchet; but such devices have, ashitherto constructed, operated either to retard the movement or else toaccelerate it, both of which are objectionable.

In winding up the time-movewhich engages by its point obliquely eitheron the ascending or descending edge of the ratchet; that my said devicealso differs in becoming instantaneously effective, and alsoinstantaneously quiescent on contact with the arbor instead of slipping,as the pawl does and must do, around the periphery of the ratchetuntil'it catches a tooth; that (while at least equally prompt inself-release from a moving clock-work) my device differs from theratchet-movement in being free from any adverse influence on theclock-work, the pawland-ratchet device being, on the other hand, liable,if arranged in one position, to momentarily start a stopped movement andthus frustrate the efforts of the special opener, or,

if arranged in the other position, to stop an already properly-movingclock.-

, A serious objection to the ratchet is the purely mechanical one thatthe teeth must be a certain size to be surely effective, and the largerthey are the greater will be the amount of lost motion and slippage.This liability also necessitates a certain diameter of ratchet, because,if of very small diameter, the teeth will be too abrupt and the slip tooviolent.

Other obvious advantages over the :pawl and ratchet are the comparativesimplicity, compactness, ease of manufacture, greater certainty, andnon-liability to derangement of my device.

I claim as new and of my invention- 1. The combination of the catch W ofthe time relief mechanism with the cylindrical shaft or arbor m of theclock-work, operating to automatically cast off said catch by therotation of the clock-work, in the manner set forth.

2. In combination with the arbor m, catch W, levers V, and arm or stopX, the lever S and notcheddisk H, substantially as set forth.

3. The time-relief mechanism, consisting of 4.. The time-obstructiontumbler H, interposed between the combination-tumblers G G, in thedescribed combination, with the timeobstruction lever S, as set forth.

5. In combination with the lever S and IIO tumbler H, the lever I,having catch 19 and snub p, and the notched disk N, fastenedto thedial-arbor, substantially as set forth.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

BENJAMIN F. FLINT.

Attest Gno. H. KNIGHT, J. L. LOGAN.

TIS

